NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- It's politics, not principles, that are keeping our country from moving forward, Jim Cramer told his "Mad Money" TV show viewers Monday, as he demonstrated multiple ways the stock market could be making investors money, if only they weren't too scared to invest.

Cramer reminded viewers that the looming fiscal cliff is a manmade problem, one that could be solved by locking our congressional leaders in a room and forcing them to hammer out a compromise. Until that happens however, the things that are going right in the markets are being largely unnoticed, he said, as investors head for the exits and lock in gains before year end.

The list goes on, said Cramer, including a 14% pop in shares of Jefferies (JEF) on another takeover deal.

What do all these gains mean? Cramer said it means bold companies will take advantage of market's cheap stock prices to make deals happen and investors need to be paying attention. Some deals are simply too good to pass up.

The Gift of Holiday Retail

With the holiday shopping season upon us, many investors are looking to add a retail stock to their portfolios. Cramer said they need to be careful however, as retail this year has been a very hit-or-miss affair.

While some retailers, like Wal-Mart (WMT) have seen their stocks soar since April, others like J.C. Penney (JCP) are in a serious decline. That's why Cramer once again recommended Ascena Retail (ASNA) as one of the safer ways to play the retail trade.

Cramer said that Ascena remains a terrific story. The company maintains a stable of diversified stores including Justice for teens and tweens, Maurice's for women in the 20s, Dress Barn for middle aged shoppers and the company's recent acquisition of Charming Shoppes gave it Lane Bryant and others to tackle the plus-sized market.

Cramer said that Ascena's diversification of its brands is perhaps its largest strength, as each concept has little to do with the others. Yet all of Ascena's stores focus on customer service and relationships, something that never goes out of style.